Showdown at the Lo Chey Corral
by Blooshifted
Summary: As Inuyasha lies on the wet ground, he contemplates the things that led up to this point... Please read and review!


There was no question in his mind. He was dying. The demon rage built up inside him, making his face tense, an inscrutable mask of pure, uninhibited ferocity. But he was weakening, and the rage was subsiding, though not by choice. Exhaustion was setting in, and he was powerless against it… for the first time in his life, he was powerless. His brother stood over him, his face unreadable in the dim evening light. Inuyasha, laying on his back in the mud of the first fresh spring rain, lifted his head and viewed his surroundings. The encircling wooden fence of the pen, the air, the smells… everything was as it should be. The air was warm, and the nightingales were sweetly cooing in their safe, secluded homes high in the tall trees by the small village known simply as Lo Chey. Stupid birds. He wished he could crush them and silence their annoying song. The forest stood, vast and silent, a testimony to times and memories long past. The only thing out of place was him, on his back, with a huge sword sticking out of his chest. He vaguely heard what seemed to be voices, calling out his name, though they were merely the muffled noises in his head now, they would have to stand in line behind the rest of his muddled thoughts if they wanted to get his attention. Inuyasha lay his head back down and stared at the starlit sky. Each glittering point, gently shining against the backdrop of night seemed to burn holes into his eyes, reminding him of the reason he was here. Reminding him of the thing that started it all, the deadly and beautiful Shikon Jewel. ~laying on your back in the mud sure puts things in perspective~ he thought to himself. The rage that had built within him was all but gone, and with his last energy, he conjured up the memories of the past. Indeed, only yesterday things had been much, much different…  
  
"INUYASHA! I'm not going to tell you again! We're leaving! If you don't want to come, you can sit in your tree with your useless puppy ears until you rot, but we have a mission to do!"  
  
Inuyasha snapped out of his reverie and glanced down to see a very agitated Kagome staring up at him through the branches of his tree, obviously still angry at him from their fight the other day.  
  
"All right, darnit, will ya shut up already! Humans! All you do is yell and complain! I'll come along when I'm good and ready, and not sooner. I don't need anybody telling me what to do, so go bug somebody else, will ya!" The moment he let those words fly, he fought back the feeling that was becoming all too familiar. He knew what it was, but refused to even think about it. Still, as he heard Kagome scream an enraged "FINE!" and stomp off to help Sango pack up, he couldn't help but feel it again… regret… regret for always saying things the way he did to her.   
  
"You know, you should be nicer to Kagome, I know you love he…" But before the words were finished, Inuyasha reached out and retracted his hand holding a struggling Shippo by the tail  
  
"Ah! Let go of me you smelly dope!" Yelled Shippo   
  
"Smelly dope, eh?… ya know, Shippo, I thought foxes stayed on the ground most of the time, isn't that true?  
  
"Um… yeah… but don't get any… AH! What are you doing Inuyasha!?"  
  
"Putting an animal back where it belongs" Inuyasha said placidly, stretching the hand holding Shippo over the edge of the tree branch. "I think I hear the others calling for you for you, you better go to them" He quickly released his grasp and, with a long trailing yell, watched Shippo fall through the air and land on his head in the dirt below. ~now there's something I don't regret~ he thought. He listened to Shippo curse him for a few minutes before the young fox demon trotted off to join the others, who were just starting to make their way on the long, winding road toward the village. Against his better judgment, he decided to join them, after all, how was he going to find the shards of the Shikon Jewel without Kagome's power? And besides… if they were to believe the rumors they heard on the road, they were all headed into a bit of danger, nothing he couldn't handle, but the rest of those morons would probably get themselves killed if he didn't protect them. Inuyasha leapt nimbly off the branch and onto the ground and began to run after the others silhouettes shifting and rippling in the midday sun.  
  
"You know, Inuyasha, you should really make up with Kagome. Unrest among fellow travelers can be a deadly mix, and you seem to be very good at spreading discourse" Miroku whispered to Inuyasha, nodding towards Kagome marching at the head of the group, arms crossed over her chest with Shippo lightly perched on her head.   
  
"Not you too Miroku? I don't see why I should apologize to that Kagome anyways when it's clearly her fault. I'm not the one fantasizing about a mangy, flea bitten wolf, she is!  
  
"Now, Inuyasha, you know that Kagome has no feelings for Koga"  
  
"Hmph, right, I know she's crazy for that idiot mutt" Inuyasha spat.  
  
"No, she's not, and I really think you should apologize. We will need all of our wits about us if my intuition on this mission serves me right"  
  
"Oh, yeah, like your intuition served you right when you said you had to investigate the Lord's palace at the last town we were in, you know, the Lord with 7 daughters?"  
  
"Ah, yes, well, some things are best left alone…"  
  
"Listen Miroku, if you can give me just one reason to forgive that pesky female, I will!"  
  
Miroku thought for a moment, then turned to face Inuyasha. He stopped, and Inuyasha stopped in turn while the others marched on. Miroku looked down for a moment, then looked up at Inuyasha. Inuyasha caught a glimpse of something in the monks eyes that he couldn't quite place…  
  
"Because you love her" Miroku said simply. He then turned from Inuyasha and walked back towards the others, who were now a ways up the road.  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, but found himself just standing. His face betrayed nothing of what he was feeling inside, though it quickly turned to anger toward the stupid monk. ~I don't love that weak human woman! I don't!~ he said to himself, as he pondered ways he could get back at Miroku for insinuating that he did. Still… it couldn't hurt to try to talk to Kagome, could it? After all, it was for the sake of the mission, right? and a successful mission meant more Shikon Jewel shards… yes, he was going to talk to her, for the sake of the mission…   
  
He could see her walking up ahead of the group. She still had her arms crossed over her chest, still apparently angry. He took a quick glance over at Sango, who shot him one of the evilest looks he'd seen in a while, usually reserved for angry demons seeking to tear his heart out. Kagome must have told her about the situation, he thought. Great, now the whole group was mad at him. Like he cared anyways, none of them would even be drawing breath if it weren't for his protection. Inuyasha quickened his pace, avoiding more eye contact with Sango as he moved closer to Kagome. He soon met Kagome's pace, though once Shippo saw him approach, the fox stuck out his tongue, jumped in the air and disappeared in a thick cloud of smoke, making both Kagome and Inuyasha stop as they waved the smoke away, coughing as they did. When the smoke cleared, Inuyasha was staring into the big eyes of one of the angriest women he had ever seen. 


End file.
